Let's see if the vendors can get out of this one.

Some posters may feel a bit embarrassed that Debra Bowen didn't stroll into office and outright ban DRE's in general, and poster child Diebold in particular. No mind. This could be even more fun.

Now, this is just a draft. And she asks for public comment.

Draft Criteria -

TOP-TO-BOTTOM REVIEW OF ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEMS CERTIFIED FOR USE IN CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS

March 22, 2007

The Secretary of State intends within the next several weeks to begin a top-to-bottom review of voting systems currently certified for use in California elections. The goal of the review is to determine whether currently certified voting systems provide acceptable levels of security, accessibility, ballot secrecy, accuracy and usability under federal and state standards. For those that do not meet acceptable levels, the review will help determine whether certification should be withdrawn unconditionally, or withdrawn subject to re-certification with additional conditions on use for elections in 2007 and 2008.

snip

Upon completion of either component of the security testing, the Secretary of State may make written findings that a DRE, vote tabulation device or ballot tally computer is not reasonably secured against untraceable vote tampering and “denial of service” attacks by features included in the design of its hardware, firmware and/or software. On the basis of such written findings, the Secretary may immediately initiate the process to withdraw certification.

snip

The Secretary of State may make written findings, based on the results of the disability access testing described above, that a voting system fails to include any of the foregoing disability access features and capabilities, in which case the Secretary of State may immediately initiate the process to withdraw certification from the voting system for disability access use.

snip

If the Secretary of State makes written findings, based on the results of the minority language access testing, that a voting system does not provide alternative language access as required by federal law, the Secretary of State may immediately initiate the process to withdraw certification from the voting system with respect to the affected county or counties.

snip

The Secretary of State will conduct a review of each voting system’s documentation and records regarding the use of the voting system by elections officials and poll workers in California elections. The Secretary of State may make written findings, based on the results of the review, that a voting system does not reasonably permit such independent operation. Based on such findings, the Secretary of State may immediately initiate the process to withdraw certification from the voting system.

snip

a pdf...

http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting_systems/draft_top_to_bottom_review.pdf


Press Release with Contact Info

another pdf...

http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting_systems/db07_008_top_to_bottom_draft_criteria.pdf

:popcorn:

All is takes is an open system, nothing else will do. I don't trust certification if the source code and electronics are kept secret. Otherwise there is no way to know if a backdoor has been created to kick in at an (un)opportune time. Just as people know exactly how paper works, there is absolutely no honest reason against open electronic systems.

K&R

It really, really MATTERS who your SOS is.

Thank for posting this. Since I live in Calif ~~ this is important information.

at the Museum of Transportation.

one can not live without the other!! Can we say that the Politicians and the vendors are married?

was the most important election in California. I'm not disappointed.